County food-access profile · Texas
Wilson County, TX
Most of Wilson County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 5.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.4%
- on SNAP
- 53K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
5.2% of Wilson County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 686
- food-desert residents
- 3.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.3%
- below poverty line
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).
By the USDA's measure, Wilson County fares better than most: just 5.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,223 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts
The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.
How Wilson County compares nationally
Food access in Wilson County compares favorably nationally: its 5.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,805).
Wilson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 census tracts in Wilson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Wilson County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Wilson 5.2
Wilson County, TX
5.2 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 42,918 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,223 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 686 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 52,781 |
| Median Household Income | $94,565 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,522 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
About 8.4% of Wilson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 5.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,522 households here.
- 3.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $94,565 with a 11.3% poverty rate.
USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).
What the food-access data shows for Wilson County
below the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 2,223 residents, roughly 5.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 686 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (81.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Wilson County
Wilson County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 14
- bradley food mart, floresville
- brahma express 01, stockdale
- circle k 2704063, la vernia
- corner store 2741078, stockdale
- corner store 2741547, floresville
- floresville express mart, floresville
- floresville mart, floresville
- murphy usa 7493, floresville
- poth food mart, poth
- poth food plaza, poth
- refuel 1318, floresville
- refuel 1320, la vernia
- refuel 321, la vernia
- squeaks convenience store, floresville
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- cvs pharmacy 10842, floresville
- dollar general 2856, floresville
- dollar general 7426, stockdale
- dollar general 10858, poth
- dollar general 16007, floresville
- dollar general 17496, sutherland springs
- dollar general 20857, la vernia
- dollar general 31145, la vernia
- dollar general 6832, la vernia
- dollar tree 5448, floresville
- dollar tree 7964, la vernia
- family dollar 13613, stockdale
- the salty slab llc, stockdale
Supermarket · 2
- heb 25, floresville
- heb food store 612, lavernia
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- wiatreks meat market, poth
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 465, floresville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Wilson County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Wilson County sits inside Texas (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Wilson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Wilson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Wilson County? ▼
Is Wilson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Wilson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
Data Sources & Methodology
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →
Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.